Increasing reliability and reducing latency in a wireless network

摘要

A mesh communication network for use in, for example, process control plants includes a plurality of network devices transmitting and receiving data according to a network schedule defined as a set of concurrent overlapping superframes, and along a set of graphs defining communication paths between pairs of network devices. A network manager residing in or outside the communication network develops a routing scheme for the network by analyzing the topology of the network and defining a set of graphs for use in routing or transmitting data between various nodes of the network, each graph including one or more communication paths between pairs of network devices. Concurrently or consequently, the network manager defines the network schedule in view of at least transmission requirements, power availability, and signal quality at each network device. If desired, the network manager may begin to define the network schedule upon completing the definition of the graphs of the communication network, so that the network manager may define the network schedule in view both the defined graphs and the transmission, power, etc. parameters associated with each network device.

主权项

1. A method of reliably transferring data in a communication network having a plurality of network devices and operating in a process control environment, wherein the method is executed in a computer that manages the communication network, the method comprising:
(i) generating a first routing graph having a multiplicity of nodes and a set of edges based on a topology of the communication network, including: associating each of the multiplicity of nodes with a respective one of the plurality of network devices; and associating each edge in the set of edges with a respective direct connection between two of the plurality of network devices; (ii) defining a communication schedule of the communication network based on at least the first routing graph, including: defining a communication timeslot of a fixed predetermined duration; defining a superframe with a number of communication timeslots, a first portion of the number of communication timeslots of the superframe used for delivery of first process data using the first routing graph, and a second portion of the number of communication timeslots of the superframe used for delivery of second process data using a second routing graph, wherein at least one of the first process data or the second process data is generated based on a physical control function performed by a field device to control a process in the process control environment; defining a superframe length based on a predetermined periodic update rate of a first one of the plurality of network devices; and assigning a respective communication timeslot associated with the superframe to the each edge in the set of edges of the first routing graph according to a predetermined order, wherein at least one of the generating the first routing graph or the defining the communication schedule is based on a set of requirements corresponding to delivery of the first process data from a source network device to a destination network device via at least one intermediate network device, the source network device, the destination network device and the at least one intermediate network device included in the plurality of network devices; and (iii) communicating, to the first one of the plurality of network devices and to another one of the plurality of network devices, a respective portion of the first routing graph and respective one or more communication timeslots included in the first portion of the number of communication timeslots of the superframe, wherein the first one of the plurality of network devices transmits, via the communication network and using the respective portion of the first routing graph and the respective one or more communication timeslots, the first process data to the another one of the plurality of network devices and third process data to a gateway in connection with another communication network operating in the process control environment.